Cold Water
by minachandler
Summary: Post 3x23. Felicity wants to surprise Oliver in the shower, but things don't quite go her way. Tumblr prompt fill. Fluff with mild sexual situations.


It was meant to be a surprise.

Felicity had woken up to the sound of the shower running and an empty space in the bed beside her. For a moment, she had just lain there, thinking about the argument they'd had several hours before – about Nyssa, about Malcolm, about Oliver joining the League. It hadn't been as heated as she expected, true, and she supposed it was bound to happen at some point and that they had merely been staving off that very conversation ever since deciding to leave Starling City, but there had still been tears and silences and a lot of harsh words tossed around. Especially by her.

And even though he had apologised and she had forgiven him and they had had more than their fair share of make-up sex since then, part of Felicity still wondered if they really were okay – if they really had survived their first fight as a couple.

That was why she'd gotten out of bed, not bothering to put any clothes on, and tiptoed towards the bathroom. Her plan had been to surprise Oliver in the shower, and she'd padded as quietly as she could into the bathroom, before pulling back the shower curtain, lifting one foot to step inside.

Jolting in surprise, Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late – she already had both feet on the shower floor before she realised the water was cold, freezing cold, and the shriek of shock was out of her mouth the moment the water hit her hair and shoulders.

"Felicity!" he said, holding her around the waist with his arm while he reached up with the other to turn the shower off. "What are you –?"

"What the hell, Oliver!" Felicity said, her teeth chattering even as Oliver reached over her to grab two towels from the rack just outside the shower. "W-why is the water so c-c-cold?"

Oliver was busy wrapping the first towel around her shoulders, before tying the second around his own waist. "The hot water wasn't working for some reason, but –" But then he broke off and – without warning – burst out laughing. "What were you doing in here anyway?"

"W-wanted to surprise you," she said, still shivering. She smiled back, though – even though she was freezing, she knew the goosebumps she could feel erupting on the back of her neck had little to do with how cold she was and everything to do with the way the water droplets were trickling down his cheek and neck and onto his chest. "Glad you see the funny side. Although I don't get why you're not, you know, freezing your – actually, forget I said anything."

He just chuckled again. "After the island, I kind of became used to it," he admitted. Then he grinned. "And hey. You did well with the surprise part."

Thankfully, some of the warmth was starting to come back to her body. Felicity huddled the towel closer to her and tried to smile again. "Yeah."

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked. His voice was softer, now, as his hand crept up to her cheek, pushing a few damp strands of hair behind her ear. "I mean, after last night…"

"I know I was harsh with you," she interrupted, catching his hand in hers. "I mean, I know we've made up and you apologised and I said I forgive you and I _do_ , and I wish I could tell you I said a lot of things I didn't mean, but – I don't think I could. Not if I was being honest. But that doesn't mean I'm not sorry for what I said. Because I am."

He shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Felicity," he said quietly. "And since we're being honest, most of the time, I feel I deserve far worse."

"Oliver –" she started to say, but she halted when he pressed his lips against her knuckles.

"I know I need to stop doing that thing where I torture myself with the… the guilt, of everything I've done. I know. But what I'm saying is that you don't need to apologise." Oliver raised his head, and their eyes met. "Not ever."

"So we're okay?" Felicity asked, already letting out the breath she only now realised she was holding.

Oliver answered by bending his knees a little and dropping a kiss on her chin, and then another on her neck. "We're okay," he murmured. "We're more than okay."

"Good," she said, managing a smile this time. Her hand was already going to her hair to move it over her shoulder so he could kiss along her collarbone. In the process, though, her towel was dislodged, and in seconds, it was pooled at her feet. She watched as Oliver's eyes dropped down her body, just as quickly, and when they returned to hers, they were on fire, that burnt blue that immediately made Felicity's heart drop to her stomach.

"That was a dirty trick," he growled, and it was impossible for Felicity to ignore how Oliver's voice went several octaves deeper as he spoke.

Felicity's smile grew wider as she put her arms around his neck. "What would you say if I said that didn't happen on purpose?"

"I would say that I didn't believe you," he replied, still in that same low voice. And then, almost effortlessly, Oliver lifted her up, his hand on her bare thigh, and his face buried in her neck. And as he stepped out of the shower, still carrying her, the hum of his laughter hot on Felicity's skin, they returned to their bed to get warm – and the last of Felicity's shivers disappeared with any worries she still had, lost in the ardency of slow, unhurried lovemaking.


End file.
